Kilshanny is a small North Clare village in the parish of Lisdoonvarna–Kilshanny. However until the 1980s it was a parish in its own right. The parish is usually associated with St Augustine. Both the church and the school are dedicated to him. The question arises how did a small place in the north- west of Co. Clare become associated with the great bishop of Hippo in North Africa?
The answer lies in the fact that in 1189, the monks of the Canon Regular of St Augustine founded an abbey in Kilshanny dedicated to St Mary. The abbey continued in use until the suppression of the monasteries during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1. At that time the monastery lands were granted to the O Brien’s of Smithstown Castle for their loyalty to the Queen. When Turlough O Brien died in 1584 among his possessions were ‘the castle and its town which formerly belonged to the monastery of Kilshanny, then lately dissolved.’(Frost, J.)
(www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/history/frost/frost.htm) chap 16 Turlogh O Brien of Smithstown
At some point the Abbey became the parish church of Kilshanny and the ruin is still visible today in the townland of Porsoon. The people of Kilshanny now use it as a cemetery. The site of the monastery may have been built on the site of an earlier church attributed to St Cuana who died in 650.
The monks built their monastery approximately 300 yards west of a holy well. This holy well has probably been a place of pilgrimage since pre- Christian times. In the early Christian era it was dedicated to St Cuana. When the Augustinian friars came to Kilshanny it became linked with St Augustine and it has remained so ever since.
The feast day of St Augustine the 28th August is the day of the pattern to this holy well. The round consists of five Our Father’s, five Hail Mary’s and five Glorias. The Creed is recited while moving clockwise around the well. The pilgrims perform this round as many times they wish though five rounds is sometimes mentioned as the optimum number. They finish in front of the well by drinking some of the water. The cure at this well is for all ailments. (Lenihan, E. The Other Clare vol. 21 p.53)
The 28th of August in former days was like a holy day of obligation. No unnecessary work was 
undertaken. The people of the parish went to Mass, and from early morning they would begin to arrive at the well. Later in the day there were various festivities. Horse races were held near the village in the 19th century and these were revived for a number of years in the 1930’s.